Beefing and furling sails



OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BISHOP, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

REEFING AND FURLING- SAILS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,929, dated February 15, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BIsHor, of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construct-ion and Working of Ships Sails; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being made to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, which are fully described herein, and in which similar letters indicate similar parts throughout the figures.

My invention consists in a method of constructing and working the top sails whereby those can be reduced, when necessary, with greater rapidity, and can also be sheeted` down with less strain upon the yards than the old methods.

In the annexed drawings Figure III exhibits the afterside of a. top-sail of ordinary form and capable of being worked in the usual manner, but having also my improvements attached. Fig. IV exhibits the for` ward side of the same sail, reduced by a double reef and by taking up both of the clues. Fig. V, shows also the forward side of the same sail, but still further reduced.

The manner in which I prefer to spar a ship is to diminish the ordinary hoist of the sails, and to increase the length of the yards, giving to each sail generally the proportions of about double thewidth along the head that the sail has of length vertically. The sail shown in Fig. III has not these proportions, but to adapt it to my method of working I place upon it a reef-band with points, earings, reef-tackles, &c., of usual construction, at such distance from the head as will leave to the lower part of the sail the above proportions. This reef-band is shown at (a), and from the caring at each end I extend two diagonal ropes (o) and (o) and (b) and (c) which are worked upon the sail to serve as additional leech-ropes. These diagonal ropes terminate in the footrope of the sail at places which divide said foot-rope into three nearly equal parts, as shown, and at said places, as (d) and (d) cringles are worked in, to which supplementary sheets are attached and which sheets lead through blocks (e) aixed upon the after side of the lower yard. There is also a cringle (7") worked in at the place where the leech-ropes (c) and (c) intersect each other, and on the yard is an iron span eX- tached to the cringles (CZ) and (CZ), and

which are led through bulls-eyes on the upper yard, as shown, to blocks on the cross* trees. When this sail is to be reduced, if of the old form, as in Fig. III, it is first to be reefed down to the line (a), and from that it is handled precisely as if it had been formed according to the shape I have described as preferred by me. The next reef will be by letting go one or both of the outer sheets and hauling up the clues forward, leaving` the sail as seen in Fig. IV wherein it is shown as secured at the lower edge by the supplementary sheets at (d.) and (cl) and the proportions above given enable the clue lines (Il.) and (t) in connection with the position of their bulls eyes, to draw the lower corners of the sail `so well up that they liefiat upon the forward side of the sail and are becalmed. The sail may now be further reduced by securing the cringle to the span iron by means of the tackle (g) and then letting go either or both of the supplementary sheets and hauling up the cringles in the foot-rope at (CZ) or (d), or both, by their clue-,lines and (71'), as shown in Fig. V, forming thus a very safe storm-sail. Spilling-lines may be passed around this, in the usual way, being led through gromets on the leechropes (o) and (c), by means of which the sail may be closely furled to the yard, when desired. In the ordinary method of reducing topsails, viz. by successive reefs, the strain is always borne principally by the ends of the yards, especially the lower yard; while when reduced as shown in Fig. IV, it is obvious that the strain upon the lower yard is at points near the middle where the yard is stiff, and that upon the ends of the upper yard is much diminished, since the sail there approaches to a point at each of the yard arms. When the sail is carried whole, as in Fig. III, the supplement-ary sheets not only relieve the ends of the lower yard of a portion of the strain but they also enable the sail to be trimmed down extremely flat, whereby the ship may go closer to the wind, as is well known. As thus constructed and worked the sail may be carried. longer in heavy weather, because all the surface which is not to be taken oft' is kept tightly sheeted down, and it can be further reduced, when necessary, with such rapidity that carrying on is not attended with the usual risk. I have also made an improvement in the courses as represented in Figs. I and II; Fig. I being a view of the after side of the sail, and Fig. II exhibiting the forward side of the same sail, with one of the clues hauled up and secured. This sail is generally as of usual construction, and having additional ropes worked upon the after side, extending from each upper caring to the middle of the foot-rope, as at (is) and (70') and a stout cringle (Z) at the point of meeting of these ropes into which a tackle may be hookedV to form a central sheet for the sail, in a manner well known. A rope or band is worked upon the forward side, extending from the cringle at (Z) vertically to the head of the sail and shown at Fig. II. Double blocks (o) are placed at intervals upon this rope and a small line passes through each to a point on the footrope which is at the same distance from the cringle in the foot-rope as the block is vertically above said cringle. These lines are shown at (p), and those ends at the footrope are fastened to gromets made there for the purpose. The other end of each is led down to the cringle and belayed to a cleat upon the upper block of the tackle /Vhen this sail is to be reduced, say one fourth, the clue-linc of that side is hauled upon until the clue is brought up forward to the center of the yard. At the same time, that set of the lines (p) which are attached to the foot-rope of the side which is being reduced, are hauled upon, and thus when said lines are belayed at (m), the foot of that side is triced to the central rope. There are reef-points (r) along the yard on the forward side, and on the after side of the sail are similar points to tie up the leech, but if the sail is cut with a gore, as is commonly the case, the points here are not upon the leech-rope itself, but

in a perpendicular line down from the earring, as at (r) Fig. I. When the sail is triced up this gore may be folded over inward, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. II, and the points (r) and (r) are then to be knotted, whereby the wind which comes down from the top-sail cannot get into the bight of the sail. Another fourth of the sail may be taken olf by hauling the other clue and securing the foot-rope and leech in like manner, the sail being then held by the central tackle or sheet (m). Spilling lines may also be passed around this sail, over all, and it may thereby be closely furled when necessary.

It will be seen that the reduced portions of the course are thus so completely secured to the yard and to the central rope that the chafing caused by the wind coming down from the top-sail, and which has been hitherto a serious objection to the method of reducing yby taking up the clues, is entirely obviated. This part of my invention I will however make the subject of a separate application for patent.

I claim- Y l. The employment of supplementary sheets to the top-sails, and other upper square sails of a vessel, in order that said sails may be kept more flat and that the strain upon the ends of the yard may be lessened, as set forth.

2. I claim constructing top sails in the manner herein described-that is to say-in the supplementary sheets, clue lines and leech-ropes, and with a central tackle, by the employment of which in due order, as set forth, the top-sail7 may be reduced and secured in successive portions substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my hand.

(EI-IAS. E. BISHOP.

Vitnesses J. I). PIRSSON, S. I'I. MAYNARD. 

